An Android-Based Mobile 6LoWPAN Network Architecture for Pervasive Healthcare

Embedded sensors are increasingly seen in modern mobile and wearable devices to support better user activities and vital signs monitoring. While more wireless sensing devices are becoming available, network connectivity and scalability remain the key obstacles in achieving seamless information flow and service provision as envisaged by the vision of the Internet of Things. In this paper, a mobile 6LoWPAN network architecture is proposed by engaging Android-based mobile devices as edge routers to address the connectivity and scalability issues with the wider IP network for pervasive healthcare applications. The 6LoWPAN-based wireless sensor network, together with the Android edge router, form a mobile sub-network that allows seamless information exchange with the Internet and improves service availability for each end user. The proposed architecture includes a customised bare-metal 6LoWPAN protocol designed for ultra low power wireless sensor nodes for long term vital signs monitoring and integrated with Android devices for mobile internet access. The proposed network architecture is demonstrated and validated on a pervasive healthcare monitoring application.